Monday, January 10, 2005

Burden, Vision, and PassionThe clock is ticking. The calendar is winding down. I'm running out of time. I made myself some promises about some important things in my life that I would accomplish. It's going to require me to buckle down, be incredibly disciplined, and live like every day and every decision matter supremely to the final outcome. If I don't, I will not keep these important commitments that I've made to myself. There is no room for procrastination. There is no more margin for weak days, inefficient weeks, or plain ol' laziness. I'm running out of time!
Unfortunately, many of us have lost our sense of urgency in our lives � especially our urgency about the God's imminent return. With that loss, our days are not filled with as much passion, expectation, intention, and hope as they should be.
In this new year, what is in your heart? Specifically, let me ask you three questions to help reveal the answer to question:
What is your burden?
What is your vision?
What is your passion?
I would describe a burden as something that is deep down inside of you. It is something you think about, worry about and are deeply concerned about. It is something God has put there.
God can also give you a vision of something He is calling you to embrace. It is something in the future. It is a possibility of something bigger than you are.
Passion, according to Webster�s New World Dictionary, is "an extreme, compelling emotion; intense emotional drive or excitement." I would describe it for those of us who are believers as something we are really excited about doing for God.
What has God put in your heart? Has he given you a burden for a certain problem, group of people, or situation? What are you doing about it? If He put it there, shouldn�t you be responding?
New Year�s Resolutions are good. Getting out of debt, losing weight (oops!), and spending more time with your family are all good goals. By now, however, many folks have already lost interest in their resolutions. However, as you pray and listen, what burden, what vision and what passion has God put inside of you? Pay attention to that burden. See how you can walk in obedience to that vision. Enjoy the passion of knowing that you are doing what God put you here to do!
Now I ask you again, what is in your heart? What is your burden? What is your vision? What is your passion? How about a piece of share down here